The Destiny of a Shadow
by Henryjh98
Summary: Shadepaw of ThunderClan isn't the strongest apprentice. Nor the biggest or fastest. But he's the smartest. And while he doesn't realize it, StarClan has a destiny played out for him, one he would never had expected. Follow the story of Shadepaw as he finds out what he really means to his clan.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

So this is the start of my new series. Enjoy!

PROLOGUE

Shadekit tumbled towards the other kits as they got ready to play battle. "Hey guys!" he meowed and he stepped beside his sister, Willowkit. "Can I be ThunderClan's leader this time?" he asked, looking around at the other five kits.

Thrushkit shook his head. "No, you can just be a RiverClan warrior," he said to Shadekit.

Shadekit hung his head in disappointment. "But I _never_ get to be a leader!" he complained.

"Sorry," replied Thrushkit, shrugging.

Shadekit narrowed his eyes, but knew there was no point in arguing. They would never let him be the leader in their fake battles. They all just seemed to ignore and pick on Shadekit because he was smaller than the rest of them. The groups were sorted out, and Shadekit ended up being a RiverClan hunting patrol with Willowkit and Volekit. Thrushkit, Cherrykit, and Flowerkit were grouped together as a patrol of ThunderClan warriors.

"You dirty RiverClan cats!" screeched Cherrykit, standing on a rock. "How dare you hunt on ThunderClan territory?"

"This is our territory!" yelled Willowkit. "And it was our prey!"

With a high-pitched wail, Cherrykit jumped onto Willowkit. The two cats rolled around with Shadekit, Volekit, Sunkit, and Thrushkit batted each other with their paws. For a few moments, they play-fought until a cat padded up to them.

"That's enough," she said briskly. "You're making too much noise, and Branchtail is trying to sleep."

The fighting stopped and Shadekit looked up at the cat. It was his mother, Moonfoot. Her silver fur glistened in the sun and Shadekit felt a rush of admiration. His mother was such a great mother and she was one of the best hunters in ThunderClan. Well, she had been before she moved into the nursery. But in a moon, she would be back into hunting, and Shadekit would be an apprentice.

"Okay," said Willowkit, padding up to Moonfoot. "But can we go listen to the elders tell stories?" There was a hopeful glint in her eyes.

"No. I told you, Branchtail is trying to sleep," the queen replied. "Now, all of you, get back into the nursery."

The six kits shuffled back to the nursery and crammed in there. Thrushkit, Cherrykit, and Volekit's mother, Dappledface, was curled up in the back. "Great StarClan, it's getting crowded in here," she groaned. "I can't wait till we get more space."

"Well, since _I'll _be an apprentice soon, there will be more room," boasted Thrushkit, fluffing his chest out.

"Us too!" Cherrykit and Volekit cried out, standing beside their brother.

"Don't brag," scolded Dappledface, cuffing her kits over the ears.

Shadekit flushed with jealousy. Thrustkit and his siblings were going to be apprentices in just a few sunrises, while he had to wait an entire moon. At least Thrustkit would be out of the nursery and not able to tell Shadekit how to play and everything.

Willowkit noticed her brother's envy and flicked her tail over his head. "Don't worry, Shadekit, we'll be apprentices soon enough," she mewed comfortingly.

Thrushkit leaned forward. "I'll be the best hunter and fighter ever!" he whispered. "Well, better than Shadekit at least," he added, throwing a glare at the black kit.

Shadekit growled and then whimpered as he curled against the edge of the nursery.

"Thrushkit!" exclaimed Dappledface. "How could you be so rude! Go out and tell Nettletooth that you're to help him search the elders for ticks," she ordered.

"Yes, Dappledface," Thrushkit groaned, thumping out of the nursery.

"Are you okay, Shadekit?" asked Willowkit, curling up beside him.

He grunted and flicked his tail over his eyes. Why was every cat so mean to him? Why was Thrushkit so mean to him? He'd never done anything to hurt Thrushkit, but he felt as if StarClan was punishing him for something. Had he done something wrong? He racked his mind, but couldn't find anything that might make StarClan so mad at him. Shadekit sniffled and then closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

But what Thrushkit had said still lingered in his mind.

Would Shadekit ever be a good warrior to ThunderClan?


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

Shadepaw was crouched just outside the ravine, stalking a vole nibbling on a nut. He licked his lips, eager to sink his teeth into the soft flesh of the prey. The vole sat up, sniffed the air, paused for a moment, and then turned away from Shadepaw and continued eating its nut. The black apprentice brushed past a clump of ferns and got ready to pounce and catch the vole.

"Hey, Softkit, over here!" came the cry from a high-pitched voice.

The vole squealed and dropped its nut, scurrying into the undergrowth. Shadepaw made a last minute attempt to capture the fleeing prey, but it slipped away from him and disappeared in the bushes. He groaned and sat up, his tail lashing back and forth.

Two small cats were running towards him, squealing and stomping through the undergrowth. "Fox-dung!" hissed Shadepaw, looking at the kit who had cried out. "Sharpkit, Softkit, what are you doing out here? Are you trying to scare off the prey between here and Highstones?"

"We're playing!" exclaimed Softkit enthusiastically.

Shadepaw groaned again. "Well, you scared off the vole I was about to kill. I had it just before me and then you two came stomping along, scaring it away!" Shadepaw lashed his tail back and forth. "You two can explain to Branchtail why he didn't get the vole he wanted me to catch for him!"

"Sorry, Shadepaw," Softkit and Sharpkit muttered.

"'Sorry' catches no prey!" Shadepaw snapped. "That was the only vole I'd seen all day," he whined, "and you two scared it away." He hissed quietly and glared at the kits. Ever since they'd been born two moons ago, a moon before Shadepaw left the nursery, they'd been nothing but trouble. This was not the first time they'd left the camp unsupervised.

"We said sor-" began Sharpkit.

"Do I _have _to repeat myself?" Shadepaw shouted.

"What's going on?"

Shadepaw looked up and saw the light gray pelt of Snowbelly, one of the senior warriors of ThunderClan. "Sharpkit and Softkit scared away the vole I was hunting," explained Shadepaw, glaring at the two kits.

Snowbelly glanced at the kits. "You two know better than to go stamping around the ravine. You should be in the camp!"

"But the camp is so boring," protested Sharpkit.

"Well Shadepaw was out here hunting," Snowbelly replied.

"Shadepaw was mean to us," muttered Softkit.

"Great StarClan," Shadepaw murmured to himself.

Snowbelly shook his head at Shadepaw. "I heard you yelling at them," he began. "They're just kits. You don't have to go so harsh on them!"

Shadepaw unsheathed his claws and let him sink into the sandy floor of the ravine. "Just because they're kits doesn't mean they shouldn't know better than to go crashing and yelling through the forest," he growled.

Snowbelly nodded. "You're right, but next time be a little kinder, okay?"

Shadepaw grunted his answer and then pushed past Snowbelly and the kits, heading towards the fern tunnel into the ThunderClan camp. Snowbelly led the kits behind Shadepaw and the four cats entered the ThunderClan camp. A few warriors lay around, sun-bathing or sharing tongues. The elders were lying around their den, while Fernkit was pouncing on a leaf just outside the nursery.

Volepaw and Cherrypaw were sitting beside the apprentice's tree stump, talking back and forth. Shadepaw turned towards Softkit and Sharpkit. "You two, come with me and tell your mother what happened out in the ravine," he said.

Snowbelly looked and him and flicked his tail over Shadepaw's head. "Don't be rude to them," he suggested. "They won't take it well."

With that, he padded away to join the other warriors.

"And after that," continued Shadepaw, "you are going to tell Branchtail why he won't be getting a vole from me."

"Yes, Shadepaw," the two kits muttered. He watched with narrowed eyes as they padded towards the elders and stood above Branchtail, who was dozing on a rock just outside the elders' den.

The old elder stuck his head up and looked around as the kits spoke to him. He nodded his head a couple of times and then beckoned Shadepaw over with his ragged tail. Shadepaw sighed heavily, but strode over towards the elder. He knew he had to be respectful; Branchtail was one of the oldest cats in ThundClan and had been a great warrior before he grew too old to continue with his duties.

"Now you two can go," croaked Branchtail, looking at Softkit and Sharpkit. "But remember, stay in the camp and try not to disturb the warriors."

The two kits nodded, their heads moving in huge bounces, and then scampered off towards the nursery. Branchtail looked back at Shadepaw. "I'm sorry that those kits scared off your vole," Shadepaw muttered to the elder.

"Well, I still want a vole," grunted Branchtail. "And all this dozing is making me hungry."

Shadepaw rolled his eyes. "I'll go around Sunningrocks and look for some."

"Sounds like a good idea," the elder replied, laying his head back down on the stone. Shadepaw turned away and headed up to Pouncetooth, who was grooming himself by Highrock.

"Hey, Pouncetooth," Shadepaw said, "I'm going to go out to Sunningrocks to catch a vole for Branchtail."

"Okay, Shadepaw," the deputy replied, looking up. "But don't stay out too long. It'll be sun-down pretty soon," he added, glancing at the sky.

The black apprentice nodded and set off out the tunnel. A hunting patrol was just returning. Willowpaw and Thrushpaw were at the head of the group of cats, while their two mentors, Thornscratch and Appletongue, followed them. Shadepaw's one mentor, Mosspelt, was out on a border patrol by Fourtrees with a few other warriors. Shadepaw brushed past the patrol.

"Hey, Shadepaw!" Willowpaw greeted warmly.

"Hi, Willowpaw," he replied.

"Where are you off to?" she inquired, brushing pelts with her brother.

"Hunting at Sunningrocks." Shadepaw flicked his tail over her face and then started to climb the ravine wall.

"Can I come?" asked Willowpaw.

Shadepaw shrugged. He kind of wanted to be alone, but he couldn't say no to Willowpaw. She was one of the only cats Shadepaw felt actually cared about him. Willowpaw beamed and looked at Appletongue.

"May I go hunting with Shadepaw?" she asked.

Appletongue shrugged. "Sure," he replied. "Just don't stay out too long, and try not to get into any trouble."

"Great!" Willowpaw squeaked, scampering up the ravine beside her brother. The two apprentices set off through the undergrowth, walking quietly and keeping an eye out for prey.

"Let's try and not to hunt until we get closer to Sunningrocks," Shadepaw instructed Willowpaw when he noticed her weaving in and out of the plants, looking for prey. "I need to catch a vole for Branchtail, and I'd like to do it fast."

"Okay." The she-cat came into step beside Shadepaw and they walked together in silence towards Sunningrocks.

Shadepaw stepped out into the clearing just beside the flat rocks and sniffed the air. The scents of many animals mingled into his noise, making it hard to distinguish where any individual prey was. He waved his tail over by the rocks. "Willowpaw, you go hunt over there. I'll look for a vole closer to the river."

"Okay," the white cat replied, bouncing over towards the rocks.

Shadepaw crouched low and began sliding across the ground quietly. The grass was dry and crackly in the hot greenleaf sun, so it was harder to stay quiet. He grew closer to the rushing river and noticed a brown shape scurrying by the ThunderClan border. He sniffed the air. Vole. Crouching so low his belly fur dragged across the ground, Shadepaw stalked towards the vole. He stopped just behind it and then swiped his paws out. The vole screeched and he dragged it towards him. With a quick bite to the neck, he killed it.

"Finally," he muttered, picking the dead vole up in his mouth. He turned towards Sunningrocks to tell Willowpaw that they could head back to the camp now that he had caught his vole.

Shadepaw set his vole down right at the edge of the rocks and scraped some dirt over it. It would be much easier for him to not have to carry it around with him while he climbed over the rocks.

Voices drifted over to him and Shadepaw wondered if Willowpaw had run into a hunting patrol. He hopped up onto the rocks and spotted Willowpaw across the rocks, crouching behind one that jutted out. Her fur was fluffed up and he ears were flattened. Shadepaw's head whipped towards where she was looking and he saw four RiverClan cats swarming over the rocks just near the river.

"Trespassers!" Shadepaw hissed to himself.

"Shellpaw, see if there are any voles around there," one of the larger cats instructed to a smaller, cream-colored cat.

The apprentice nodded and turned around. She stalked over to a rock not too far and then lifted her head. Shadepaw's eyes met hers and she froze for a second, before hissing and unsheathing her claws.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Shellpaw, crouching on the ground.

Shadepaw froze in panic. He and Willowpaw were the only ThunderClan cats nearby and it would be an unfair match. He realized he would have to be smart and try and talk the RiverClan cats away.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" Shadepaw retorted. "The correct question would be what are _you_ doing here?"

For a moment, Shellpaw hesitated, unsure how to respond to the question. Shadepaw discreetly looked at where Willowpaw was hiding and made eye contact with his sister. He flicked his tail in the direction of the forest, but she shook her head. He widened his eyes and then nodded and finally his sister turned away and dove into the woods.

By now, the other RiverClan warriors had noticed Shadepaw. The biggest one, a blue-gray tom with a black stripe on his face, stepped closer to Shadepaw, hissing. "Get off our territory!" he hissed.

"Listen to Blackstripe!" Shellpaw hissed.

Shadepaw rolled his eyes. He was getting very annoyed with the RiverClan apprentice. She was so cocky and passive aggressive, and he'd known her for just a few heartbeats, if seeing her on his territory counted as knowing her.

"What do you mean, your territory?" Shadepaw calmly asked, even though on the inside he was freaking out. "I smell no RiverClan. Except for the reek coming off of you," he added.

Instantly, he regretted saying that. All four cats hissed and slashed the air in front of them, preparing to fight. He gulped, knowing that was a stupid move. A silver she-cat spoke next. "I wouldn't talk. That ThunderClan scent of yours smells like dirt, badgers, and fox dung!"

It was Shadepaw's turn to hiss. He couldn't believe that any would say that. In his opinion, ThunderClan scent was the most natural and best-smelling scent of all five clans. "Forget the scents of our clans," he continued, baring his teeth. "This is ThunderClan territory, and you shouldn't dare trespass on it."

"Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan!" bellowed Blackstripe.

Shadepaw groaned. He'd often heard the elders telling stories about how RiverClan always said they owned Sunningrocks, even though ThunderClan used it. He gave a _mrrow _of laughter; if it was theirs, then why were ThunderClan scent markers surrounding it?

"Really?" Shadepaw replied. "If it belongs to you, then why have ThunderClan placed scent markers all around it? Why do we sunbathe here? Why do we hunt here?"

For a moment, there was no response. "Well...RiverClan... We have let ThunderClan use it for a while, but now it is time for us to take it back," stammered Blackstripe.

Shadepaw huffed and used that as a cover-up for his shuddering. Where was Willowpaw with the back-up? He didn't know how long he could keep the trespassers from attacking him. "Right," he responded. "That's it."

Shellpaw hissed and bared her teeth, stepping forward. "Want to settle it right here and right now?" she threatened. "Because I'll crush you in a fight!"

"Shellpaw..." warned the silver she-cat.

"Let me do this, Brightfur!" Shellpaw replied softly.

Brightfur sighed and stepped back.

"Is that how you let an apprentice talk to you, Brightfur?" Shadepaw taunted. "If I'd said that to any warrior, I'd be sent to live back in the nursery."

"Are you insulting RiverClan?" Brightfur hissed.

"No." Shadepaw licked his paw, trying his hardest to not shake from his fear. He knew a battle would erupt in any moment, and he wasn't sure if Willowpaw would be here with reinforcements by then. "I'm just offering constructive criticism."

Brightfur and Shellpaw growled at him. Shellpaw started forward and Shadepaw shuddered. Shellpaw was bigger than him, and seemed older. Shadepaw had only been an apprentice for a moon, while he assumed Shellpaw had been one for at least three moons.

With a loud screech, Shellpaw launched herself at Shadepaw and he crouched into a defensive position. Her claws outstretched, she landed on top of him. Shadepaw quickly rolled out of the way and scratched her underbelly, and then flung her away with a lucky chance to push her with his hind legs. Shellpaw landed on the rocks a few tail-lengths away and struggled to her feet. Shadepaw stepped towards her, ready to attack her again. His claws scraped against the light stone beneath his feet and his teeth were bared at the RiverClan apprentice.

"No!" shouted Brightfur. With fury in her eyes, she jumped towards Shadepaw and jumped on top of him. Shellpaw joined her fellow warrior and Shadepaw could hardly move under the weight of the two cats. He cried out in fear and tried to scramble himself free, but to no avail. Was he going to die right here, just because he couldn't keep some enemies from attacking for too long.

_Great StarClan, help me!_ he wailed up in prayer to his warrior ancestors.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

"ThunderClan, attack!" The wail came from somewhere behind Shadepaw, and the apprentice barely heard it through the two bodies writhing over him.

Shadepaw gave a breath of thanks, but still couldn't move as Shellpaw and Brightfur scratched him. For a moment, the pain and movement stopped as the two RiverClan warriors looked up in shock. Shadepaw took the opportunity and slid out from under the two cats. He reached up and clawed Brightfur on the face. The she-cat screeched and scratched Shadepaw on the shoulder in return.

Mosspelt bounded right past Shadepaw and launched herself at Brightfur, tackling the she-cat off of her apprentice and rolling onto the rocks beside them. Willowpaw jumped on Shellpaw and the two apprentices began to weave and attack each other.

Soaringleaf and Burrowfoot, the two other ThunderClan cats raced past Shadepaw and headed to attack Blackstripe and the other RiverClan warrior. The two cats prepared for battle, and Blackstripe nimbly dodged Burrowfoot and then leaped on top of him. Shadepaw's eyes widened in fear, but he was to injured to go to help the small brown cat. There were several gashes on his flank and his shoulder was pouring blood onto his fur, while in numerous places, chunks of fur had been ripped out.

Mosspelt swatted Brightfur over the head, drawing blood, and then bit her in the shoulder. The RiverClan she-cat yowled in pain and scampered away, scampering into the undergrowth by the river. Shadepaw's mentor snarled at the fleeing cat and then rushed over to aid Burrowfoot. Shadepaw turned his head to his sister and saw that she had Shellpaw pinned to ground.

"Get off our territory, fish-breath!" she viciously spat at the RiverClan apprentice.

Shellpaw hissed but squirmed out from Willowpaw and limped away, her ears flattened and her teeth bared. Willowpaw chased after her, but stopped when Shellpaw sprinted away with an odd gait. Soaringleaf tackled the RiverClan warrior, but the tom pushed her off of him and bit the ThunderClan she-cat on the flank. Soaringleaf yowled and returned the gesture with a swat on his head. The warrior hissed and then retreated into RiverClan territory when Soaringleaf drew blood on his chest.

At the same time, Mosspelt and Burrowfoot overpowered Blackstripe and pinned him to the ground. The huge tomcat growled and looked at the ThunderClan warriors. "Scum! Let me go!" he spat in their faces.

Mosspelt and Burrowfoot warily backed off of him and Blackstripe slunk back towards the river, his companion right beside him.

"Yeah, that's right!" Soaringleaf screech. "Sunningrocks is ours!"

RiverClan's only response was a hiss and bared teeth before the two cats dove into the river and swam back to their banks. Mosspelt turned around and ran over to Shadepaw. "Shadepaw!" she cried. "Are you okay?" Concern for her apprentice flickered in her wide eyes.

Shadepaw grunted in pain. "Fine," he replied.

"No, you're not," she said. "You're bleeding and scratched in several places. You need Honeycoat to take a look at you right now."

"Well, she can't right now," Shadepaw snapped back, "because we aren't at camp."

Mosspelt nodded and rolled her eyes, flicking her tail. She nudged Shadepaw to his feet and let him lean on her as they walked through the forest, Willowpaw, Soaringleaf, and Burrowfoot following close behind. It took them a while to get to the camp, but when they did, all the apprentices were present and several warriors were spread out throughout the clearing.

When the injured and bleeding cats limped into the camp, every ThunderClan warrior whipped their head towards them, their eyes wide. Streamstar emerged from his den and looked around, puzzled. "What happened?" he inquired softly.

"RiverClan happened," Burrowfoot growled. "Shadepaw, get to the medicine den."

Shadepaw obliged and started limping towards where Honeycoat and Juniperpaw were standing. Movement to his right caught his eye and he saw Branchtail walking up to him. Quietly, he cursed and wished that the elder would just leave.

"Shadepaw, do you have my vole?" he croaked, stopping in front of the black apprentice.

"Branchtail, there was just a battle," Shadepaw replied tersely. "I was attacked by two RiverClan cats. I didn't get to catch a vole!"

Branchtail shrunk back at the harsh reply, his ears flattened. Shadepaw instantly felt guilty, and then he realized that he _had _caught a vole.

"I'm sorry, Branchtail," he apologized. "I'm just hurt and tired."

Branchtail scowled. "Apprentices these days are so rude," he muttered.

"Actually," continued Shadepaw, annoyed by the elder's words, "I did catch a vole, but left it at Sunningrocks. Ask Cherrypaw if she'll go get it and bring it back to you. Tell her it's on the edge of the rocks facing the clearing."

The old elder nodded and walked over to Cherrypaw, who was standing in the cluster of cats listening to Mosspelt and the others tell the battle story.

Honeycoat nudged Shadepaw into her cool den and turned to Juniperpaw. "Get some cobwebs!" she ordered. The apprentice nodded and rushed farther back into the den to fetch the webs.

"So, where are you hurt?" she asked Shadepaw, crouching next to him.

"My shoulder," he replied, "and my hind legs and hindquarters. Also, there are a few scratches on my flank."

"Anything else?" the medicine cat inquired.

"Well, my back was slammed into the rock, and it's getting bruised."

"Juniperpaw, grab some dock, and goldenrod!" Honeycoat called to her apprentice. She prodded Shadepaw lightly on the shoulder, but he still winced and gasped in pain. "Poppy seeds, too!"

Juniperpaw came back with her mouth stuffed full with leaves, while pushing cobwebs and a pod of poppy by her feet. She stopped in front of her mentor and Honeycoat pushed a few poppy seeds forward.

"Eat."

Shadepaw licked them up with the she-cat started chewing up dock leaves. She spread the chewed up leaves onto Shadepaw's scratches and gash. He winced as the herbs stung his skin. Juniperpaw started to chew up the goldenrod and then applied the poultice to some of the black cat's more serious injuries. After a few moments of that, the apprentice and mentor began to dress his wounds with cobwebs.

"Try and sleep," Honeycoat said when she was done.

"I won't have any trouble," mumbled Shadepaw, already groggy from the poppy seeds. He was still in pain, but the black seeds had helped to ease the pain a lot and calmed him down. He curled up on a bed of moss and closed his eyes, ignoring the sound and excitement coming from the cats outside.

Just before Shadepaw fell asleep, Honeycoat poked her head into Shadepaw's den. "Streamstar is going to come in when you are awake and ask you about the battle."

Shadepaw nodded and yawned, eager for the kind medicine cat to leave him alone. He just wanted to sleep and rest to let his wounds heal. Finally, he was left in peace and the black apprentice drifted off into a deep, restful sleep.

Shadepaw awoke to milky sunlight streaming into the medicine cat den. He blinked a couple of times and then lifted his head and groaned. His cuts and gashes felt much better, but his muscles were stiff and aching. A few heartbeats later, Honeycoat padded in.

"Oh, good, you're awake," she mewed. "Anything wrong?"

Shadepaw stretched his back, but gasped and snapped back into place in pain. "My back is aching and my muscles are stiff," he answered.

"Well, stiff muscles will be sorted out by walking and stretching," the medicine cat advised, "but I'll get some feverfew for you back."

Dipping his head in thanks, Shadepaw began padding around the den, stretching out his sore muscles and flexing his legs. Honeycoat returned with the feverfew and told Shadepaw to eat a few leaves. "Now, go get some prey from the fresh-kill pile. Then Streamstar will talk to you."

The black apprentice shuffled out of the medicine cat den and headed towards the fresh-kill pile. There were only a few pieces of prey on it; two mice, a starling, and a vole. Shadepaw snatched up a mouse and walked over to the apprentice's den. He settled himself down and began to nibble on the small piece of prey. It took him a few moments to finish it and then he stood up and stretched, eager to get out in the forest again.

Streamstar padded in through the gorse tunnel, followed by Snowbelly and Oaktail. Cherrypaw padded in just behind them, a vole dangling from her jaws. Oaktail held a squirrel, while Snowbelly had two mice. Streamstar had caught a small pheasant, but it was still enough to feed several cats.

The blue leader caught Shadepaw's gaze and flicked his tail, beckoning for the apprentice to follow. Streamstar put his catch on the fresh-kill pile and then slowly padded to his den, Shadepaw following behind. Streamstar vanished behind High Rock, and Shadepaw rounded the big rock, nudging the lichen curtain aside.

"Hello, Shadepaw," mewed Streamstar. "Feel free to get comfortable."

The leader sat in the back of the sandy-floored den and patiently waited for Shadepaw to get situated. The black apprentice felt his leader's eyes gazing into him as he struggled to become comfortable. His ears grew hot in embarrassment. Finally, he laid down and curled his tail around his hind legs.

"I'm glad you are feeling better," Streamstar said.

"So am I," muttered Shadepaw.

"Now, I'd like you to tell me about what happened down at Sunningrocks." The leader paused and glanced at the entrance to his den. "I've talked to Mosspelt, Willowpaw, Burrowfoot, and Soaringleaf, but the tree warriors only charged down to fight, and Willowpaw left near the beginning of the confrontation. You were there the entire time."

Shadepaw swallowed heavily, wondering where to start. "Well, I told Branchtail I'd catch him a vole, so Willowpaw and I went hunting near Sunningrocks. After a bit, I did catch one and walked over to the rocks to tell Willowpaw we could go. But as I climbed up them, I saw Willowpaw crouched behind a rock, with four RiverClan cats upwind, trying to hunt on the rocks."

Streamstar nodded, urging Shadepaw to continue going. He sniffed and licked his lips.

"Subtly, I motioned for Willowpaw to go find a patrol or get back to camp to tell some cats, because I knew if we tried to fight them, we'd be hurt or even killed. So she did, and I began to talk to the fish-breath," growled Shadepaw. He didn't catch his language until after he'd already said it, and he gasped quietly, hoping to not be ridiculed.

"What do you mean by you talked to them?" inquired Streamstar.

"I revealed myself and warned them to get off ThunderClan territory. They spat insults at me, and I insulted them in return, trying to delay them from attacking me as long as possible. But one of the apprentices, Shellpaw, grew furious at me, and she and a RiverClan she-cat named Brightfur jumped on me. I was helpless," mewed Shadepaw, "and I thought I was going to die. But luckily, Willowpaw showed up with Mosspelt, Burrowfoot, and Soaringleaf. They attacked the RiverClan cats and dragged Shellpaw and Birghtfur of of me." Shadepaw paused and drew in a deep breath. "Then one by one, they drove the invaders back to their own territory."

Streamstar nodded, but said nothing for a long while. Shadepaw sat in uncomfortable silence, waiting for his leader to respond. Finally, the blue tom cleared his throat and gazed down at Shadepaw.

"Thank you, Shadepaw," said Streamstar. "You did well. You may go, now."

Dipping his head in thanks, the black apprentice started towards the lichen curtain. Streamstar's soft voice made him stop and turn around.

"Do you think you fought well, Shadepaw?"

Startled by the question, it took him a second to register it. "Um. . . No, I do not," he breathed out. "I didn't really fight at all. I was just overpowered by those fish-eaters," he added, anger clear in his hiss.

Streamstar shook his head. "It's not your fault you were overpowered," the leader meowed.

_Are you that because of my size? _Shadepaw growled in his head, ready for a comment about his puny stature. _  
_

Streamstar, obviously sensing what the apprentice was thinking, continued. "Shellpaw is a large cat, and Brightfur is a strong warrior. Most cats would have had trouble fighting the two of them at the same time. Shadepaw, even if you think you didn't fight, that doesn't mean you weren't brave. You openly confronted four RiverClan warriors all by yourself and held them off from attacking you for quite a long time. That's impressive," concluded Streamstar. "Mosspelt and I are proud of you."

Flushing with embarrassment and pride, Shadepaw backed out of the den. His leader had just complimented him and said he was proud of Shadepaw! He beamed as he walked towards the fresh-kill pile, his tail held high in the air.

"What's got you so happy?"

Shadepaw whipped around and saw Moonfoot standing just behind him. His mother brushed her muzzle against his flank and began to lick his fur. "Mosspelt told me how brave you were at the battle today," she mewed between licks.

Drawing in his mother's sweet scent, and nodded. "So did Streamstar. He said he was proud of me."

"ThunderClan is proud of you." There was a long pause as they shared tongues, and then Moonfoot said, "I'm so glad you're better. I hope you'll be able to attend the Gathering tomorrow."

Shadepaw quivered with excitement. He wanted to go to the meeting at Fourtrees, too. He hadn't been able to go last full moon because it was only his second day as an apprentice, but he would probably be able to go tomorrow night.

"So do I."

The mother and son finished sharing tongues and then parted. Shadepaw went back to the apprentice's den, tired and ready to fall asleep. By the sunset, he was already curled up, fast asleep in his nest, dreaming about the life of a warrior.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

It was sun-high when Shadepaw padded through the gorse tunnel, a mouse clamped in his jaws. Mosspelt had sent him out hunting, and the mouse was the only sign of prey he'd seen all day, but Mosspelt told him if he caught anything he could eat afterwards.

Shadepaw dropped his catch on the fresh-kill pile and pulled out a thrush, dragging it over to the apprentice's stump. Willowpaw would be back soon, and they would be able to share the bird.

A few moments later, five cats walked through the gorse tunnel. Appletongue, Willowpaw, Oaktail, Cherrypaw, and Thrushpaw all returned from the sun-high patrol to the RiverClan border. Willowpaw spotted Shadepaw and ran over to join her brother.

"Hey, Shadepaw," she mewed.

"Hello."

Thrushpaw and Cherrypaw also came over to the stump, each holding a mouse to eat. They sat down on the other side of the stump and Thrushpaw glanced at Shadepaw.

"Ah, the mighty warrior is out of the medicine den," he muttered mockingly. He gave a cruel _mrrow _of laughter and then said, "So I heard a RiverClan kit managed to overpower you. Not that doing that is very hard." He chuckled and started to chew on his mouse.

Shadepaw fumed on the inside and took a large bite out of his thrust, ripping its wing off, all while glaring at the large apprentice. Cherrypaw glanced at her brother, debating whether or not to join in on the taunting of Shadepaw.

"Just ignore him," growled Willowpaw. "He's just jealous that he didn't get any action."

"Action?" huffed Thrushpaw. "That's not action. It's called being a weakling. I would have pummeled those RiverClan cats, each one on my own. I bet I could beat any one of them in a fight."

"Could you beat two of them?" challenged Willowpaw.

Thrushpaw glared at Willowpaw. "Stay out of this," he growled. "It has nothing to do with you."

"Yes, it does!" hissed Willowpaw. "He's my brother, so stop being so cruel to him!"

Shadepaw felt that by having Willowpaw stand up for him just made the situation worse. Thrushpaw stood up, his neck fur bristling. "Stay out of this," he repeated, unsheathing his claws. "This is between Shadepaw and me alone!"

"No, he's my brother," Willowpaw hissed, lunging at the tom over the trunk. Thrushpaw snarled at her and sliced at her muzzle, drawing blood on her face. Shadepaw gaped in shock as he attacked his sister.

"Thrushpaw, stop!" yelped Cherrypaw, shoving her brother off of the stump.

Shadepaw reached up and dragged Willowpaw back. "It's okay, it's okay," he whispered to her. "Just ignore him." He tried to comfort her, but the cream apprentice was still seething in anger.

"Thrushpaw, what were you thinking?!" exclaimed Cherrypaw, pinning her brother to the ground. "Do you want to get stuck cleaning out the elder's den for a moon?"

He only spat in response, glaring at Willowpaw. Shadepaw's sister whimpered and licked her muzzle, then flinched.

"Does it sting?" asked Shadepaw.

She nodded and winced again. Cherrypaw looked on in disgust. "Say you're sorry," she growled. "Say it!"

Thrushpaw breathed in and his fur flattened. He pushed Cherrypaw off of him and then looked straight at Willowpaw. "Sorry," he said calmly, obviously not sorry at all.

Shadepaw growled and hissed at him. "Come on, Willowpaw," he muttered. "I'll take you over to Honeycoat and she if she can find something for that."

"No, it's okay, I can do it on my own," growled Willowpaw, stalking off towards the medicine clearing. Shadepaw took another bite out of his thrush and then stared at Thrushpaw. The large tom stared back and there was a message in his yellow eyes that said the fight hadn't ended. Shadepaw turned away and took the thrush's remains to the dirtplace to dispose of the bones.

As he walked away, he heard Cherrypaw scold Thrushpaw. "Why do you have to be such a mouse-brain? You could have seriously hurt Willowpaw, and gotten in big trouble."

Shadepaw flattened his ears. His name hadn't been mentioned by Cherrypaw, even though she'd stopped her brother from attacking him and Willowpaw. Did she even care about Shadepaw at all? He growled and tore up a clump of grass right next to the dirtplace. Why was he always treated as such a useless cat?

Before he could get back to the stump, Mosspelt padded up to him. "Hey, Shadepaw." She looked at him. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Mosspelt gave her apprentice a skeptical look and then rolled her eyes. "I know you're lying."

"Whatever," grumbled Shadepaw.

"Okay," she hissed, "I was going to tell you Streamstar wanted you at the Gathering, but I guess I'll tell him you don't want to go."

Shadepaw's stomach leaped with excitement. "No, no, I still want to go!" he pleaded, looking at his mentor.

"Then tell me what's going on," she demanded, sternly but kindly.

"Thrushpaw," sighed Shadepaw.

"What about Thrushpaw?"

"He bullies me," Shadepaw explained. "Calls me a weakling. Says I'm useless and bosses me around."

"I'll talk to Thornscratch about him," promised Mosspelt.

"Thornscratch isn't much better," replied Shadepaw. "Where do you think Thrushpaw gets it from?"

Thornscratch was the most violent cat in the Clan, and a very powerful one at that. Shadepaw was very intimidated by him and he was always a bit nervous when around him. Even though Thornscratch was a fight-lover, he was still a very loyal cat and a good warrior.

"That's true," Mosspelt said. "And he'd probably encourage Thrushpaw." She paused for a moment and looked at Shadepaw. "Well, the only way you can get him to stop this is to show him you aren't weak and helpless. And I'll do anything I can to help you with that."

Shadepaw flicked his tail over Mosspelt's flank. "Thanks, Mosspelt."

"Of course. Now, get some rest. It's a long trek to Fourtrees."

He nodded and set off towards the apprentice's den. He was so excited to meet cats from the other four Clans. He'd only ever seen RiverClan cats up close. ShadowClan was separated from them by the ThunderPath. However, he had briefly seen SkyClan cats walking through the trees on the other border. But other than that, he had never seen anymore than four cats up close from another Clan.

Shadepaw walked into the cool shade of the apprentice's den and padded to his next. Willowpaw was curled up in her mossy bed and Shadepaw settled down next to his sister. She lifted her head. "You going to the Gathering?"

Shadepaw nodded. "Are you?"

"Yes!" she squealed, excitedly. "After I walked out of the medicine den, Appletongue told me. Luckily, he didn't notice the scratches on my nose."

Running his tail over Willowpaw's nose, he yawned. "Well, we'd better get some rest, or else we'll be too tired to make it to the Gathering."

Willowpaw grunted in agreement and Shadepaw drifted off to sleep in the company of his sister.

* * *

"Shadepaw," Mosspelt whispered in his ear. "Wake up and get something to eat real fast."

Shadepaw looked up and saw Mosspelt crouching over him and Willowpaw. His sister was already standing up. Together, they weaved through the den and out of the entrance. Shadepaw felt a satisfied lurch when he saw Thrushpaw still asleep in his nest. The large apprentice would not be going to the meeting of the five Clans.

Out in the clearing of the ThunderClan camp were all the cats going to the Gathering. Streamstar and Pouncetooth stood together, right outside the gorse tunnel. Honeycoat and Juniperpaw sat beside them. Sparkfur, Burrowfoot, Mosspelt, Appletongue, Thornscratch, and Growltail were all eating by the fresh-kill pile. Moonfoot, Fogcloud, Fluffpelt, and Oaktail were patiently waiting a few tail-lengths from Streamstar. Nightcoat and Stripedfire, the two youngest elders, stood behind Streamstar, getting as many Gatherings in as they could before old age prevented them from making the journey to Fourtrees. Shadepaw and Willowpaw padded over to the fresh-kill pile and each took a mouse.

Snowbelly, Grassheart, and Soaringleaf were standing by Highrock. Streamstar nodded his head at Snowbelly and then turned away. He swished his tail, and the Gathering patrol headed off after him.

"Shadepaw!" called Mosspelt. "Hurry!"

Surprised, Shadepaw dropped his half-eaten mouse and he and his sister raced off after the ThunderClan warriors. He and Willowpaw whipped past their father, Darksnow, as he guarded the gorse tunnel. They scrambled up the ravine in record time and joined the group pausing for a moment at the top. Streamstar hopped on a rock and looked at the cats around him.

"Is everyone here?" he asked.

Shadepaw nodded and some of the other warriors muttered their answers.

"Let's get going," grumbled Nightcoat. "It's a cold night. There's no point in lingering around."

Streamstar rolled his eyes in humor and set off into the woods. The two elders took off after him, while the warriors steadily fell into line.

"Make sure you don't fall behind," Mosspelt muttered into Shadepaw's ear as he ran along behind his mother.

Shadepaw nodded and ran a little faster, afraid of being left behind and not making it to the Gathering. The warriors did not stop and wait for him as they leapt over fallen trees and bounded across the stream. He was left to crawl over the trunks and splash through the cold water. He and Willowpaw were falling a few fox-lengths behind, but Shadepaw was determined to keep up with the group.

Finally, they caught up as they grew closer to the scent-markers of ThunderClan. Streamstar led the group over the border. Shadepaw spotted the top of Fourtrees farther away, peeking up out of the hollow. They walked several more fox-lengths and then Streamstar stopped them at the hollow ridge.

The scent of RiverClan washed over Shadepaw, stronger than he had ever smelled it before. Another earthy scent hit him, and he wondered which Clan that was.

"RiverClan and WindClan are here," reported Pouncetooth.

Streamstar turned around and looked out at his warriors. "Remember, this is a Gathering. We are under a truce beneath Silverpelt and the full moon," he announced, glancing at Shadepaw and Willowpaw. "There is to be no fighting." His gaze fell over at Growltail. The young brown tom flattened his ears and slightly bared his teeth. Shadepaw knew he was one of the most aggressive cats in all of ThunderClan. "Also, please do not give away any information," he concluded, staring at all of his warriors.

"Even though it didn't seem like it," Willowpaw whispered, "that was directed at us."

Shadepaw nodded and the ThunderClan cats dove down into the hollow. Mosspelt padded up beside Shadepaw. "Stay near me," she mewed. "I'll introduce you to some of the cats."

The black tom nodded, his insides quivering with fear and excitement. He'd wanted to go to a Gathering since he was a little kit, and now he was finally here at one. The patrol passed through the undergrowth around Fourtrees and entered a large clearing.

Shadepaw's mouth dropped open in shock. He'd never seen so many cats in his life, and these were just two of the Clans. A huge rock, even bigger than Highrock, sat in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by the four biggest trees Shadepaw had ever seen.

"That's Dropstar," muttered Mosspelt, pointing her tail at a gray she-cat with silver stripes. She was standing at the base of the Great Rock, speaking with a silver tom who's fur shone like stars. "And Shinyfur is her deputy, the cat she's talking to."

Mosspelt craned her neck and scanned the clearing. She nudged Shadepaw and pointed out another cat. "Galestar, the leader of WindClan, is that white and brown she-cat standing a few tail-lengths from Dropstar. But I don't see Swishfur, her deputy."

An unfamiliar pelt passed by Shadepaw and he spun around. A she-cat with sandy brown fur and white feet was walking past him, standing next to a large ginger tom. She caught Shadepaw's eyes and stopped.

"Hi," she greeted, "I'm Drypaw."

"Sh...Shadepaw," stammered Shadepaw, surprised.

"This is my mentor, Sunclaw." Drypaw swished her tail at the large ginger tom beside her. At the sound of his name, he spun around and glared at Shadepaw.

"Who's this?" he growled.

"This is Shadepaw!" Drypaw meowed energetically. "And what's your mentor's name?"

"I'm Mosspelt," his mentor answered, looking cheerfully at Drypaw.

"We're from WindClan. Are you from ThunderClan?"

Shadepaw nodded. "Yes."

"I thought so. You don't have the sleek RiverClan fur and ShadowClan and SkyClan aren't here."

"Come on, Drypaw," Sunclaw ordered. "Let's go back to our clan."

"Bye, Shadepaw!" said Drypaw. "See you around."

"Bye," Shadepaw replied.

He turned back to Mosspelt and she was watching the two WindClan cats walk away with narrowed eyes. "Try and not get too friendly with the enemy," she growled.

Shocked by his mentor's response, he turned away and looked for Willowpaw. His sister was standing next to Appletongue as he spoke to a WindClan tom. She looked around with wide eyes, and Shadepaw could see she was nervous and excited at the same time.

A loud yowl snapped Shadepaw back to the Gathering. Two large groups of cats stood at the top of the hollow, standing a few tail-lengths apart from each other. Two scents mingled together, confusing the black apprentice.

"ShadowClan and SkyClan," muttered Mosspelt.

Shadepaw could tell that the cats on the right were ShadowClan by their facial expressions; cool and fierce with darker pelts. The SkyClan cats looked pretty varied, except that they all had bulging muscles in their hind legs.

Two cats broke off of the heads of the patrols and headed straight for the Great Rock. The ShadowClan leader slithered up the rock, followed by Streamstar and Galestar. The SkyClan leader stood at the base of the rock and crouched down, as if preparing to jump. Then, he pounced up onto the rock in one bounce, without even having to scrabble for claw-holds.

Shadepaw gasped. "How can he jump so high?" he asked Mosspelt.

The she-cat chuckled. "SkyClan cats have a natural ability to jump higher than the rest of us. But Leapstar, he got his name for his ability to jump even higher than the average SkyClan cat."

"Wow," muttered Shadepaw. "That's amazing."

Dropstar was the last cat onto the Great Rock and the five leaders crowded on top of it.

"Let the Gathering begin!" yowled Streamstar, silencing the whole clearing.

Each Clan shifted more together and sat attentively, staring up at the leaders on the Great Rock. Streamstar flicked his tail and waited for some cat to speak.

"I'll go first," muttered Galestar. The white and brown she-cat cleared her throat. "WindClan has had a good moon. We have three new kits and the prey is running well. However, we regret to say that Brushfoot was killed accidentally when a Twoleg horse trampled him."

Cats of all Clans yowled in mourning. Mosspelt hung her head with a sad glint in her eyes. "Brushfoot was a good cat. He was kind and loyal, but not afraid to help those in need," she mewed.

The noise died down and Galestar lifted her chin. "We have no new warriors. I have nothing more to say."

Leapstar nodded and looked out over the Clans. "SkyClan has been doing well this moon. The prey is running well and we have a new warrior." His gaze drifted out over his Clan and Shadepaw saw as he stared towards a SkyClan tom with black fur. "Nightfur is know a warrior."

"Nightfur! Nightfur!" chanted the Clans, approving of the new warrior. The tom lifted his head proudly, but his tail kept flicking back and forth, betraying his nervousness.

Leapstar continued talking. "We have had no problems from Twolegs or kittypets on our farthest border."

He stepped back and Swampstar of ShadowClan took his place. "Webtail has retired to the elder's den," he began. "We have two new kits and a new warrior, also. Congratulations, Trunkleg."

Shadepaw looked and saw the ShadowClan cats watching a brown tom with a rather wide foreleg, sitting with his head held proudly in the air while the Clans respectively cheered his name.

"The prey is running fine in ShadowClan, and we have had no issues from rogues or other Clans," concluded Swampstar.

The blue leader of ThunderClan stepped to the front of the Great Rock and looked at Swampstar. "I wish we could say the same, Swampstar," he meowed, "but RiverClan invaded our territory." His gaze turned towards Dropstar, who crouched down and narrowed her eyes. "They were hunting on Sunningrocks, trying to take our territory from us. A warrior and an apprentice teamed up on one of our apprentices and nearly severely injured him. Trespassers!" he hissed.

"Sunningrocks is ours!" Shinyfur growled in reply from his position below the Great Rock.

"Fish-breath!" screeched Growltail.

"ThunderClan scum!" a RiverClan warrior screamed.

"Silence, Puddlepelt!" hissed Dropstar. The warrior fell silent, but his pelt still bristled. Shadepaw could feel Mosspelt's fur spiking up against his flank and he found himself unsheathing his claws. He was filled with anger that RiverClan thought they could just take Sunningrocks from ThunderClan. The urge to sink his claws into RiverClan fur was dangerously strong in him at the moment, and he fought to resist it.

Dropstar turned towards Streamstar. "It is true that we invaded Sunningrocks," she admitted. "But Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan, and it always has!"

"Never!" Thornscratch yowled.

Cats of both Clans screeched threats and insults at each other, both claiming Sunningrocks belonged to them. Streamstar and Dropstar attempted to silence their warriors, but the noise was too great. Shadepaw growled and glared towards the RiverClan cats. He caught Shellpaw's eyes and they glared at each other. "Fish pelt!" he hissed at her.

"Stop!" yelled Honeycoat, hopping onto a lower part of the Great Rock. "Look up at the moon!"

Shadepaw's gaze drifted up into the sky. A few clouds were beginning to float over the shining orb in the sky.

"StarClan does not approve," ThunderClan's medicine cat continued. "A Gathering is a time of peace!"

All five leaders nodded and RiverClan and ThunderClan fell silent, but still glared at each other. Streamstar shook his pelt and then breathed deeply. "Honeycoat is right," he growled. "Now, the prey in ThunderClan is running very well. We have two new warriors, Fluffpelt and Growltail."

"Fluffpelt, Growltail!" ThunderClan yelled the loudest, but the RiverClan cats stayed silent, just flicking their tails and scratching the hollow floor.

"ThunderClan has nothing else to report."

Dropstar looked out over the hollow and blinked. "RiverClan is doing fine. We have some new apprentices and two kits. The River is full of fish and the Twolegs have stayed away this season." She paused and her eyes wandered across the clearing. "Do you have anything else to say?" she asked the other leaders. They all shook their heads and she nodded. "The Gathering is concluded."

Shadepaw sent another glare towards the RiverClan cats as Dropstar led them out of Fourtrees. Streamstar leaped off of the Great Rock and waved his tail, beckoning for his warriors to follow him.

Quickly, Shadepaw scanned the clearing for Drypaw. He found her at the back of the WindClan cats and he caught her gaze. She dipped her head in farewell and he repeated the action before taking off after his Clanmates.

"Wasn't that so exciting?!" inquired Willowpaw as they sprinted through ThunderClan territory.

The ThunderClan apprentice nodded. "I can't believe RiverClan claimed Sunningrocks was theirs!" he hissed.

Willowpaw grunted in response and they continued to talk about the Gathering. They passed through the gorse tunnel and Appletongue stopped to talk to Snowbelly about what happened. Shadepaw went straight into the apprentices den and curled up in his rest, exhausted from his busy day at the Gathering. However, his mind was racing with the images, scents, and sounds from the meeting at Fourtrees and he found it difficult to fall asleep.

Finally, he drifted off to sleep beside Willowpaw, dreaming of battling RiverClan for Sunningrocks.


End file.
